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Shootin' The Shorts

Shootin' The Shorts is run by J.E. Clarke a longtime prolific screenwriter who loves to give others a little boost in the marketplace by highlighting why she believes their short script may stand out. She brings with her a loyal band of readers who share the same compassionate attitude who have joined her cause as it's grown and grown to connect writers with filmmakers on a monthly basis. Now it finds a home here on Script Revolution.

This is all about highlighting what makes a script great by focusing on the positives. You'll find no negative criticism or lists of issues here. Submitting a short script for consideration couldn't be easier, simply scroll down to the bottom of your script edit page and tick the "Submit to Shootin' The Shorts" checkbox. Please note; it takes time to get through all submissions, everything is subjective, and we're by no means saying these are the best short scripts on Script Revolution, they are simply the ones that have found an admirer within this section - CJ

As the old saying goes: We can’t choose our family… But we can definitely choose who we fall in love with. Or can we? Perhaps it boils down to simple relationship chemistry, that special connection and instant spark, but attraction is definitely in the eye of the beholder and can mean many different things to different people.

What happens if the object of your affection is not of the warm-blooded variety? In Spike Jonz’ movie, Her, Theodore falls in love with Samantha, a computer operating system. In Lars And The Real Girl, the impossibly shy Lars teams up with a lifelike plastic doll named Bianca. In Blade Runner, Rick Deckard has a dalliance with a beautiful droid named Rachael, and in TED, a bromance develops between John and his foulmouthed childhood teddy bear come to life.

In similar fashion Mark Moore’s The Perfect Pair examines the relationship between Kevin, a big lug of a guy in his twenties and his very unconventional relationship with girlfriend, Nicole. Kevin is what we’d call a late bloomer and in true Millennial form he is yet to leave the nest.

The dilemma facing long-suffering parents, Frank and Peggy, is not simply what do you do when your adult kid won’t cut the apron strings, but what do you do when the object of your son’s affection is a sock-puppet named Nicole? They’ve been open-minded and patient up until now, allowing Nicole to share their home, their dinner table, even allowing Nicole to share Kevin’s bed, but they’re at their tipping point – Frank’s taken to hyperventilating over the whole affair and something drastic has to be done.

Frank and Peggy take the ‘tough love’ route issuing Kevin with an ultimatum: Either he finds ‘an actual woman of the human kind’ or he’s out.

So, what’s a guy like Kev to do? Go to an Internet dating site of course, rustle up a good sort with shared interests (in this case sock-puppets) and hope and pray for compatibility.

But, what of fiery red-head, Nicole? She’s not going to go easy. And she’s definitely not the sharing type.

Talk about a bizarre love triangle.

Filmmakers: Do you like the comedy in your RomCom veering into absurd, screwball, and laugh-out-loud whilst maintaining sweet and sentimental on the romantic side?

Reminiscent of Lars And The Real Girl and Something About Mary and with an hilarious montage that’ll have your audience laughing out loud, The Perfect Pair could be your perfect debut.

The Script

About The Reviewer

L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently...Read more

TERMS OF ENGAGEMENTSometimes a break-up is the first step towards an engagement.

Man walks into a bar…

Typically to drown his sorrows over a woman.

David Lambertson’s, Terms Of Engagement opens with just this scenario.

The place is Sullivan’s Bar. Tending bar is Tina.
The date: Valentine’s Day.

The aforementioned Man seeking to drown his sorrows is James, replete with a box of chocolates, a dozen red roses, a red heart-shaped pillow and a sullen expression.

Head bowed, muttering to himself, he lumbers to the bar.

When the roses are quickly dunked into a pitcher of beer and James slams back a shot of tequila we know Cupid’s arrow must have overshot its target. When James proceeds to bang his head into the pillow over and over we know there’s been trouble in paradise. What kind of trouble you might ask? Well, it seems Amy, James beloved, wanted somethingspecial this Valentine’s Day and James failed to deliver.

Hmm, something special… Yes, sometimes we girls speak in code. How fortuitous then that Tina is on hand, not only to offer a friendly ear and a kind word, but to also unravel that code for James.

Tina sets about telling James where he’s gone wrong -

TINA
The pillow’s bout five bucks.
The roses are bound by a rubber band.
Any florist worth their weight
would’ve bound them in a ribbon.
(points at roses)
Those scream retail.
(taps the box)
But those are the dead give-away.

James is about to discover that a heart-shaped pillow ‘made in China’ is not at all classy, that drug-store flowers don’t cut it, and that chocolates are a far more complicated purchase than he ever would have guessed.

TINA
… You got your Godiva chocolates.
For my money, the best… but they aren’t
going to be on the shelf of your local grocery.
After that, you have your Sees Candies.
Not real expensive, but you have to actually
drive to a Sees store to get them. You know, make an effort. And then...
(picks up the box)
You got your Whitman’s Samplers.

No good, asks James?

Only if you’re broke or if you’re twelve, says Tina.

And so proceeds James’ education in the art of love and all things special.

With its clever twist in the final act Terms Of Engagement is a delightfully funny RomCom in the style of How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, and with the comedic insights of What Women Want.

FILMMAKERS: We trust you’ll know what you want especially when it’s right in front of your eyes. Best save the date pronto with the writer of this one though, lest it be booked out.

The Script

About The Reviewer

L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently...Read more

About The Writer

Hmmm - how does one craft a writing biography for one that has not spent a life writing? I'll give it a shot. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was eighteen. I started writing when I was 56. In the years between I got married, had children, got divorced, got married again, had grandchildren...Read more

FOR NOWA year after losing her husband, a widow struggles with whether to date again.

February, (along with all things Saint Valentine) may technically be coming to a close, but for all of you hopeless and hopeful romantic filmmakers out there we’re continuing along the RomCom theme with another pearl of a script just waiting to be picked up.

The Bridges Of Madison County, Harold & Maude, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Hope Springs, (to name a few) are films with what in common? All are proof that just as Frankie (Sinatra) sang way back in 1965: Love Isn’t Just For The Young. Proof also that there’s a demographic you may not have thought of tapping into but that it’s one highly in demand.

And so, the spotlight for today shines on Paul Knauer’s romantic comedy, For Now.

The opening scene of For Now finds us in a retirement community with Adel, a widowed lady in her seventies sitting alone and nursing a cup of coffee. A very nervous Warren, also in his seventies, slides into the seat across from her…

It’s February 14th, and Warren has just summoned up the courage to ask Adel out on a date. Only trouble is Adel’s a hard sell. She feels blessed enough to have known her soul mate in life and she’s not looking for a replacement. No-one could possibly fill the shoes of her beloved Jimmy.

WARREN
… Listen… I was wondering
if – maybe – you might want to go to
the Olive Garden tonight? With me.
Endless breadsticks.

ADEL
(shakes her head)
It’s Valentine’s Day.

That’s kinda the point, says Warren.

WARREN
… See, when a guy – that’s me
likes a gal – that’s you – sometimes
they eat breadsticks together. And,
sometimes, they do it on Valentine’s Day.

At which point we discover that although Warren has eyes only for Adel he’s hot property amongst the other ladies in the retirement community. In fact a long line of eligible women are queued up outside his door all clamouring for his affections and they come bearing Valentine’s gifts.

As Jimmy says to Adel:

JIMMY
This guy’s more popular
than a chocolate fountain at a
Kansas City brunch.

Huh? Now Jimmy’s talking to Adel? Who is this guy? Has Warren got competition from a dead man? But he dropped off the peg a year ago, right? Then again, maybe he’s alive. A huge bouquet of roses were just delivered to Adel and the name on the card reads: Jimmy.

Hmm, what’s going on? Well, you’re just going to have to delve into the script to find out.

Suffice to say, For Now is a heartwarming and touching romantic comedy sprinkled with whimsical dialogue gems and astute observations about love and loss, and finding love again when you least expect it.

Filmmakers: Want your own feel-good start to the year? Better get on it then, now!

The Script

About The Reviewer

L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently...Read more

About The Writer

I’m an optioned screenwriter working out of the Kansas City area. My main focus is slightly absurdist comedy with heart, but I believe writing good comedy requires the ability to write good drama, so you’ll notice a mix of thrillers, dramas and even slight horror scripts in my portfolio. ...Read more

CRAZY IN LOVEA woman battling mental health issues learns to let
her guard down with the help of a quirky patient in a similar position.

February is the month synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Hearts, flowers, chocolates, and of course sitting down to that old movie favourite, the Romantic Comedy.

Now, before you blokes out there switch off and decide RomComs are chick-flicks, only to be indulged to get into the good books of your significant other, it might pay to bear in mind two things: the first is that despite the plethora of action, shoot ‘em up and CGI movies, the overwhelming popularity of the RomCom is enjoying a resurgence. Thanks to the success of romance channels like Hallmark, Passionflix and Lifetime and with Netflix Originals hot on their heels there’s a inbuilt audience ready for filmmakers to tap into.

Another important fact to note is that romantic movies don’t always have to feature sugar-coated storylines of boy meets girl with their gorgeous airbrushed lead actors.

Do you prefer your RomComs with a little less saccharine and a bit more edge? Less You’ve Got Mail and Love Actually, and more Silver Linings Playbook, and The Big Sick? Well, writer Warren Duncan, has artfully created the perfect antidote to too much sugar with his dark Romantic Comedy: Crazy In Love.

We open on Henry, a handsome young guy wearing a white-lab coat and roaming the halls of a psych ward. At first we don’t know what to make of him. Is he doctor, patient? Through some very clever voice-over we become privy to Henry’s thoughts, his self deprecating humour, his witty asides and one liners, and his often face-palming and clumsy overtures in his quest to win over Ruby.

Ruby’s the new kid on the block. To say Henry’s instantly smitten is an understatement. As with all good romantic stories however, the road to true love may be paved with obstacles and Ruby’s damaged veneer indicates she may well be a hard nut to crack.

Crazy In Love is a cleverly constructed and out of the box love story. It’s a touching tale about the human condition and about finding love in unexpected places whilst bearing the literal scars of life. With its carefully balanced mix of nuanced humour and its underlying message of hope and love triumphing over adversity this is one love story you don’t want to pass up.

Filmmakers: Feeling any creative woes over which path to take? Well, we have just the remedy. Dare I say, you’re gonna’ need your head read if you don’t snatch this one up fast.

Crazy In Love placed first as Writer’s Choice in the SimplyScripts Romantic Comedy challenge.

About The Reviewer

L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently...Read more

WEATHER WORNRelentless heat forces a poor horse rancher to make a life or death decision.

When it comes to animal and anthropoid relationships depicted on the silver screen, there’s something distinctly mythical about the connection between horse and human. A spiritual symbiosis that elicits feelings of transcendent freedom and a harmonization with nature. We’ve all been moved by films such as WAR HORSE, HIDALGO and the BLACK STALLION, for each of these movies elegantly encapsulates the ageless and unique bond between mount and man.

David Lambertson’s WEATHER WORN is a graceful homage to this rapport. The story transports us to a near bleak future, where water has become more valuable than just about anything.

EXT. INTERSTATE HIGHWAY - EL CAJON PASS - DAY

Desolate. Not a car in sight. Wind-whipped sand pelts the pavement.

The air has an eerie orange hue, the effects of the hot sun filtered by clouds of dust. Dry vegetation on both sides of the highway. Brown, dead pine trees dot the hillside.

One spark away from a forest fire.

SUPER: EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA, 2043 - 122 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT

A POLICE CRUISER speeds by spreading the dust in its wake. We can now see a digital highway sign that reads: “NEXT STOP FOR DRINKING WATER 50 MILES - $112 A GALLON.”

Nowhere is this felt more acutely than on Roy Callhan’s dusty, dehydrated horse ranch. Roy’s a weather-worn cowboy tormented by an impossible decision; how to prolong the lives of his beloved horses in the face of energy-sapping heat and a deadly drought.

This is a wretched world, akin to the perilous wild west of yesteryear. A time when abhorrent decisions were regularly taken to overcome impossible impediments. In Roy’s case, he knows what he must do, yet logic and reason rarely usurp affection and devotion – especially when it comes to those we hold dearest.

POV - DOWN THE BARREL OF THE SHOTGUN

The Stallion’s eyes crusted with dirt, but peaceful - calm. As if he somehow he knew this was inevitable.

The other horses behind the Stallion stirring, sensing something wrong.

BACK ON ROY

Roy’s arms tremble. His chest heaves up and down. Moments pass. He lowers the shotgun.

Roy paces around - angry, shouting at no one. He wipes the sweat from his eyes and takes dead aim again. Moments pass.

Dirt and dust swirl in the arid air. The tension in Roy’s arm evaporates.

He lowers the shotgun again. Roy approaches the Stallion, puts his arm gently around the horse’s neck, nuzzles his head up against the Stallion’s.

Leo Tolstoy once said: “'Thou shalt not kill' does not apply to murder of one's own kind only, but to all living beings and this commandment was inscribed in the human breast long before it was proclaimed from Sinai.”

Roy embodies the raw veracity of this belief. He cannot take the life of a living being, especially one so closely hitched to his soul. He knows in his heart it’s wrong. So instead, he reverts to desperate, deadly measures to solve his precarious plight.

What follows is both brave and heartbreaking, as Roy risks everything – including his life -- to save his beloved team of stallions and steeds.

Lambertson’s poignant elegy to this timeless relationship starts at a canter and ends in a gasp-worthy gallop, that’ll leave the audience teary-eyed. So, if you’re director biting-at-the-bit for a film that can showcase your visual storytelling skills and also charm the film festival crowd, then check out this exceedingly satisfying script immediately – it’s worth the ride.

The Script

About The Reviewer

Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more

About The Writer

Hmmm - how does one craft a writing biography for one that has not spent a life writing? I'll give it a shot. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was eighteen. I started writing when I was 56. In the years between I got married, had children, got divorced, got married again, had grandchildren...Read more

Prepared for a fun and quirky little thriller short? Then belly up to the counter, pour yourself a drink and sit right down!

In J. Phillip Wilkins’ Tipsy, we open on a dive bar in Chicago’s east side. Inside those dark and dingy walls, one Bartender is about to have a day he'll never forget. (No matter how many shots he downs.)

Enter a Man on a mission - to buy a drink. At least, that’s what it looks like at first.

Almost instantly annoying, the Man pesters the Bartender with bizarre banter. All too used to the lunatics of Chicago, the Bartender at first puts up (albeit in a sarcastic way) with his new customer’s odd requests.

MAN
I've made up my mind.
I'll have a drink that fits my name.

BARTENDER
Will that be a douche on the rocks, or straight up?

MAN
What? Oh... oooooohhhhhh, I get it. Yes, very funny.
But what I meant was, I would like the drink that fits my name.
You see, my name is the same as a certain refreshing cocktail.

The bartender looks at a point just over the man's shoulder.

BARTENDER
Listen buddy, I just want to do my job and get
the hell out of here with as little aggravation as possible.
Capiche?

MAN
I understand, but if you don't at least attempt a guess,
I will have to set off my bomb.

Woah! Asking for a drink is commonplace. But a bomb?!? With those words, the Bartender’s already aggravating day takes an alarming turn for the worse.

The man opens his jacket to reveal a vest of dynamite sticks, all linked by yellow and green wires. He pulls his left hand out of his pocket and shows the bartender a detonator, his thumb poised over a red button.

MAN
Just a little pressure and... BOOM!

The bartender looks like he has just wet his pants.

MAN
Now, if you could just guess the name of my drink, I can be on my way.

BARTENDER
Shit, mister. I don't know... uh, Harvey Wallbanger?

Nope. Wrong again. Maybe this was the wrong customer to mouth off at? Now the clock – and bomb – is ticking. Ever more urgently pressured by the Man to guess his name, the poor Bartender throws out every drink title he can think of; grasping at figurative straws (not the swizzle stick kind!)

Only four pages long. One location. Tipsy is a terrifically easy short to shoot. Will this story end with a bang? You’ll have to read it to find out.

About The Writer

J. Phillip Wilkins is the author of several unfinished books, including 'Desert Witch', 'The Girl From Yuma', 'Laughter, Far Away', and 'Lighthouse At The World's End'. His tenure as one-third of indie pop outfit The Postmarks was followed by a move to the West Coast demimonde. Often called 'the...Read more

Hard-Up Secret AgentA dashing secret agent lets his arch-nemesis and his hench-woman in on a little secret:
he just can't score babes.

We all love James Bond. With his suave, sophisticated mannerisms and impeccable timing, he’s simply sexy - and it sells. But move over James, there’s a new super spy in town! And this one comes with a hearty dose of realism…

Meet Agent Hawk: he received the best education, works for the government and – as Steve Cleary's Secret Agent opens - finds himself trapped in the lair of super villain Volkov. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?

For Volkov, all is going to plan. He’s about to take Hawk out by some convoluted means of torture. Though something isn’t sitting quite right. But with the assistance of evil hench-woman Natalia, Volkov vows to hammer such petty details out!

A machine with a spinning blade enters and inches toward the secret agent.

AGENT HAWK
Luxury cars?
I’m a government employee for God’s sake!
I drive a Hyundai.

VOLKOV
How unfortunate.
Well, at least you had the beautiful women.

AGENT HAWK
Pfft!
The last date I had was with the cashier at the Stop and Shop.
She wouldn’t even let me get to second base!

VOLKOV
What?
Surely you’ve had some measure of success
with the fairer sex, no?

Agent Hawk may be in the same profession as Mr. Bond, but he apparently lacks any of 007’s financial or relationship success. Together, the trio attempt to figure out the source of Hawk’s… dysfunction. All the while machinery of destruction stares Hawk in the face.

Even if he can escape, is an unfulfilled, loveless life worth it anyway?

A great little comedy short, Hard Up Secret Agent boasts both an affordable budget and minimal page count… just enough to humorously turn James Bond on his well-coiffed head. Just one location and small cast required. It doesn’t take a super-spy to know that’s an (evil genius) scheme to get audiences laughing… even with the whole world at stake!

About The Writer

Steve's body of work consists of original features, shorts, and comedy sketches. His comedy background comes from time in the NYC stand-up comic scene, where he helped up-and-coming talent develop their acts while writing and performing in various short films, videos and sketches.

Ever find yourself watching one of those law enforcement procedurals or one of the forty-seven thousand TV shows about Navy SEALs? And despite trying hard to follow the story, you’re constantly distracted by phrases and acronyms, used to showcase how authentic the show strives to be.

Problem is, unless you actually participated in B.U.D.S (see what I did there?) and graduated from Quantico (yep, did it again), then you don’t have a damn clue what they’re talking about.

Apparently, you’re not alone.

Slangalator, by Ian. J Courter is a wickedly-fun and satirical faux commercial, marketing the benefits of the ‘Slangalator’: a Rosetta Stone-esque app used to help translate military jargon back into human tongue.

WIFE prepares food as Husband walks in.

HUSBAND
Hey, babe. I’m gettin’ with the C-O about my T-D-Y.
Be back about fourteen-hundred.

Wife looks at camera in despair.

WIFE
I don’t understand him anymore.
Can someone please help?!?

ANNOUNCER (VO)
If you’re a military spouse, you know how
frustrating these conversations can be.
Now that frustration is a thing of the past with…
the Slangulator.

A hand model displays a smartphone as the ANNOUNCER talks.

ANNOUNCER (VO)
This revolutionary application software translates
militarese into English. Compatible with any smartphone,
it’s so easy to use, you’ll never want to be without it.

In the vein of SNL-esque infomercials, the Slangulator dives deep into all the hilarious ways software this ingenious can be applied to everyday life. Not only will you miraculously understand what GI Joe and his pals are talking about, but you can join in as well.

But, it’s worth noting your participation in the parochial buzz-phrase-a-thon may not be so welcome!

HUSBAND
…Smitty just left the TOC (tock)
when a R-P-G hit the DFAC (dee-fac).
the Jawa normally move like pond water,
but he dee-dee-mao’d the A-O so fast,
I thought he was goin’ Elvis on us.

Wife has a puzzled expression as she looks at her smartphone. Then, she smiles and MECHANICALLY reads…

A tasty morsel of mordant amusement, Slangulator smartly satirizes our societal penchant for idiomatic tribalism, one that spans multiple cultures and careers. As a human habit, it’s one immensely hard to override: it’s just who we are, right?

Or, as our friends in the armed forces would opine: SNAFU… Everything Normal. All Fucked Up.

If you’re a filmmaker who enjoys sardonic storytelling, don’t hesitate to incorporate Slangulator into your “dialogue”. Act ASAP. Or your chances will forever be FUBAR’d. Shoot, you may even earn yourself some Chest Candy (dammit, I did it again), with a tale that’s so A1!

The Script

About The Reviewer

Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more

About The Writer

I have been a technical writer for nearly fifteen years and published two academic articles, but my true desire has been screenwriting. So far, I have written fifteen shorts and seven feature-length scripts. I draw inspiration from a wide range of sources to include: - Graduate degree in...Read more

Grandma-Z
A couple of stoners must use a Ouija Board to summon the spirit of their
dead grandmother in order to locate her medical marijuana stash,
or else spend the entire wake unstoned.

Irreverent grandparents are always a guaranteed laugh on film. But in Grandma-Z, writer Craig Thomas brings us even more: a comedy/horror featuring a badass grandparent that can still wreak hell on earth - even after she passes on.

As the script opens, meet Carlos and Mo: two stoners who realize their biggest fear at their Grandmother’s wake. Even worse than losing beloved Nana… they’ve run out of weed!

All seems lost, until Mo remembers his Grandmother’s medical quirks and cures. Through the use of a Ouija Board, they reach out to their dearly missed relative to help them locate her stash:

A room full of mourners. To one side is an open casket. Inside is GRANDMA. Very much dead.

Beside it stands MO (20s) and CARLOS (20s).

CARLOS
Remember how everyone said she's outlive us both?
Well, I was dead that one time, but that was only for a little bit.
Still, this sucks.

MO
Oh man.

CARLOS
I know.

MO
How could this happen?

CARLOS
She was old and angry.
Her heart finally just popped.
Like a wrinkly balloon left in the sun.

MO
What?
(realizing)
Oh, not that. We're out of weed.

Carlos looks at the empty baggie in Mo's hand. He’d been slyly preparing a spliff on the edge of the casket… but now:

CARLOS
WHY GOD, WHY?!

HOWARD and STELLA watch from across the room.

STELLA
They must have been really close.

MO
Wait, didn't grandma have glaucoma?

CARLOS
I think so. Why?

Mo smiles across from Carlos. Slow realization spreads across his face.

Flash forward to the Oujia Board.

Before one can conjure Cheech and Chong, Grandma is successfully reached from beyond - and her precious weed found.

But on returning to the wake, these two loveable stoners - and the rest of the mourners - encounter a turn of events no-one could predict.
Cue Grandma: rising from her open casket with a grisly case of the munchies, hell bent on reclaiming what’s hers.

With witty dialogue and comedic storyline that keeps the reader hooked, Grandma-Z is a gem of a screenplay; one that serves up horror with a smile. Any indie fan can testify: stoner humor’s always a hit when done right. Splice in some Cryptkeeper yucks, and this is one little script you should bring to life!

About The Writer

Craig Thomas is a UK-based screenwriter. Having written a number of short films, which are currently in various stages of production, is currently preparing a number of spec scripts and original features for a summer of competitions.

ConvictionAn unsuspecting woman is about to make a life-changing decision.

Writers Barry Katz and Tony Piccolo bring you Conviction, a brilliant little short with a nasty little twist.

As most effective horrors do, Conviction opens innocently enough:

In a mall parking lot, a woman approaches her car. As shoppers are wont to do, she tucks her bags in the trunk and enters her vehicle, key in hand. Nothing out of the ordinary to report – until she spots an old lady sitting patiently in her back seat.

Panicked, the woman flies from her car, assessing her uninvited passenger with a wary eye.

Frail and unassuming, the old lady pleads with our heroine to drive her home. But something seems terribly wrong. When she left, the car was locked – so something in this scenario seems… off.

EXT. CAR - CONTINUOUS

The woman slams the door, places her hand over her heart. She tries to regain her breath as her mind swirls. Her fear turns to confusion.

From a safe distance, the woman peeks into the car to get a better look at the uninvited passenger. Her defenses lower slightly as she realizes it's a frail old lady. She cautiously opens the door, bends down to communicate.

WOMAN
Miss?

The old lady says nothing.

WOMAN
How did you get in my car? I know for a fact I locked it.

The old lady slowly turns her head to face the woman.

OLD LADY
Would you be a dear and give me a ride?

The woman furrows her brows.

WOMAN
I don't even know you.
And you didn't answer my question. How did you --

OLD LADY
(through pleading eyes)
Please, dear. I have an emergency.
It's only five minutes away.

The woman looks at her watch, grapples with the dilemma.

WOMAN
Uh...

OLD LADY
Oh, please.
It's the season of giving.
I have nobody.

The woman appears defeated. She sighs.

The woman struggles with the situation. Alzheimer’s issues aside, who is this person really? And what on earth is she doing in her back seat? About to give into the old lady’s request, the woman encounters a police officer. The plot – as they say - thickens from there.

At only four pages long, Conviction checks two horror “musts”. It’s an easy-breezy read. And an effective story with a twist.

If you’re looking for a short screenplay with big impact, Conviction is a strong contender for your next film. And if you like to play with audience minds, the “sentence” is sure to be worth your crime.

About The Writer

I have enjoyed creative writing from as far back as I can remember. It's the one talent in life I can truly say I have. While I don't currently make my living as a screenwriter, it is certainly something I aspire to do. For now, I enjoy the art of making art and most of all, I enjoy...Read more